Special Education Programs

Specialized instruction is provided for students with disabilities in each of the TCSEA member districts. All districts employ special education teachers who (a) consult with general education teachers to adapt the standard classroom for individual learning needs, (b) provide students with the individualized support they need to be successful in general education classrooms, (c) provide students with specialized instruction in either a general education or a special education classroom, (d) communicate with parents and other educators, and (e) implement the individualized educational plans of special education students. Special education teachers who perform these varied and highly personalized roles are often called "resource teachers."

All TCSEA districts have cross-categorical special education programs. This means that students are grouped according to specific academic and social needs, not on the basis of which disability entitles them to special education.

All member districts also employ or contract with speech-language pathologists who serve students who have, or are at-risk of having speech-language impairments. Specialized instruction for many students with speech-language impairment might be therapy. Therapy may be delivered individually, in small groups, in a general education classroom, or in another location in the school or community.

Many districts maintain instructional special education programs. Students in these programs spend more than half of their school day in a special education classroom, receiving specialized instruction separate from non-disabled peers. Most instructional programs put intensive effort into teaching the standard curriculum found in general education classrooms. Other instructional programs emphasize teaching life skills to allow students with severe or multiple disabilities to gain maximum independence. Instructional special education teachers adjust the level and focus of instruction to meet the specific needs of the students they teach.

Most instructional programs in Tri-County districts are cross-categorical, meaning that the students may have different disabilities that make them eligible for special education but have similar needs in terms of curriculum, classroom structure, instruction, organizational support, or social/emotional services.

The following districts most frequently educate students from other member districts: